Bonnington Beach Hotel, Bournemouth

Four years ago a couple decided to move their family out of London to try their luck in sunny Bournemouth. They bought a hotel near the beach, and managed to squeeze 57 beds into its 21 rooms. Charging hostel rates (£15 a night) the couple got many punters through the door, but have struggled to make a living, and they now owe the bank a massive £600,000.

The hotel often has a 100% occupancy rate but unfortunately just cannot seem to turn that success into a profit. Alex suggests the business needs to be streamlined, and even proposes that the couple should charge for the use of towels. But the manager and Alex are not quite on the same wavelength. However, he does come round to one of Alex’s ideas – stripping the rooms of all unnecessary paraphenalia.

There is one part of the business Alex really likes, which brings in around £50,000 a year – the hotel's boot camp. Run by ex-service personnel, people come to the hotel for a week of rigorous army-style drills on the beach. Alex suggests they build on this template and introduce other courses people could use at their hotel, such as a cookery course.

With an owner unwilling to move forward, does Alex have any chance of stopping this hotel from falling off the radar?